Yoga

Practice Yoga and be Resilient to Stress

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“yoga is anti-aging, lowers blood pressure, and is beneficial for treating metabolic syndrome x. Waist circumference, blood sugar, and triglycerides. Yoga has been known to balance the endocrine system and hormones for centuries. Now it is also being recognized as a way to balance blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diseases brought on by a classically western diet.” – Cheryl Walters
Stress is universal. We are constantly under some form of stress. In fact, if we don’t have enough stress, we seek out more. Stress actually can strengthen us. Muscles don’t grow and strengthen unless they are moderately stressed in exercise. Moderate mental stress can actually increase the size and connectivity of brain areas devoted to the activity. Moderate social stress can help us become more adept in social interactions. Moderate work stress can help us be more productive and improve as an employee, etc. So, stress can be a good thing promoting growth and flourishing. The key word here is moderate or what we called the optimum level of stress. Too little or too much stress can be damaging.

 

Unfortunately for many of us living in a competitive modern environment stress is all too often higher than desirable. In addition, many of the normal mechanisms for dealing with stress have been eliminated. The business of modern life removes opportunities for rest, working extra hours, and limiting or passing up entirely vacations to stay competitive. Persistently high levels of stress are damaging and can directly produce disease or debilitation increasing susceptibility to other diseases. Chronic stress can produce a condition called distress which can lead to headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping and can make other diseases worse.

 

It is beyond the ability of the individual to change the environment to reduce stress, so it is important that methods be found to reduce the individual’s responses to stress; to make the individual more resilient when high levels of stress occur. Contemplative practices including yoga practice have been shown to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. Because of their ability to relieve stress, mindfulness trainings are increasingly being practiced by individuals and are even being encouraged in some workplaces.
In today’s Research News article “Heart Rate Variability, Flow, Mood and Mental Stress During Yoga Practices in Yoga Practitioners, Non-yoga Practitioners and People with Metabolic Syndrome.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1311695092187747/?type=3&theater

or see summary below. Tyagi and colleagues investigate the ability of yoga practitioners to respond to and recover from stress. They recruited yoga practitioners who had been practicing for at least 6 months, comparable individuals who did not practice yoga, and individuals with metabolic syndrome. They had the participants relax in a reclining position and then challenged them with a stressful mental arithmetic task. During this time, they were measured for mood, flow, respiration, and cardiac activity with an Electrocardiogram (ECG). Flow is a “desirable state of positive arousal caused by the perception of subjective control with maximum physiological efficiency and the down-regulation of functions irrelevant for task fulfilment.”

 

They found that the yoga practitioners had greater flow and were in a better mood even before the stressful task and showed greater improvement in flow and mood after the task than the other groups. These included flow, total mood, and the mood components of tension, depression, fatigue, confusion, anxiety, and vigor. They also found that the yoga practitioners had lower heart rates and respiration rates than the other groups, had greater increases during the stressful task, and more rapid decreases afterward.

 

These are interesting results and replicate many previous results that the practice of yoga in general improves flow, mood, and physiological responses. This is not surprising as exercise in general is known to do this. What is new and significant is that yoga practice appears to improve resilience; that is, it results in vigorous responses to stress, but rapid recovery. Both of these responses are adaptive. By readying the physiology to cope with the effects of stress, it positions the individual to better withstand these effects. But, yoga also improves the recovery afterward preventing the stress effects to be prolonged and potentially damaging. As a result, yoga practitioners appear to better able to respond to and cope with stress, quickly and efficiently, without unnecessary prolonged physiological reactions.

 

So, practice yoga and be resilient to stress.

 

“Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration. Body- and self-awareness are particularly beneficial, because they can help with early detection of physical problems and allow for early preventive action.” – Natalie Nevin

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Tyagi, A., Cohen, M., Reece, J. Telles, S. and Jones. L. Heart Rate Variability, Flow, Mood and Mental Stress During Yoga Practices in Yoga Practitioners, Non-yoga Practitioners and People with Metabolic Syndrome. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback (2016). doi:10.1007/s10484-016-9340-2

Abstract

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia are directly associated with autonomic flexibility, self-regulation and well-being, and inversely associated with physiological stress, psychological stress and pathology. Yoga enhances autonomic activity, mitigates stress and benefits stress-related clinical conditions, yet the relationship between autonomic activity and psychophysiological responses during yoga practices and stressful stimuli has not been widely explored. This experimental study explored the relationship between HRV, mood states and flow experiences in regular yoga practitioners (YP), non-yoga practitioners (NY) and people with metabolic syndrome (MetS), during Mental Arithmetic Stress Test (MAST) and various yoga practices. The study found that the MAST placed a cardio-autonomic burden in all participants with the YP group showing the greatest reactivity and the most rapid recovery, while the MetS group had significantly blunted recovery. The YP group also reported a heightened experience of flow and positive mood states compared to NY and MetS groups as well as having a higher vagal tone during all resting conditions. These results suggest yoga practitioners have a greater homeostatic capacity and autonomic, metabolic and physiological resilience. Further studies are now needed to determine if regular yoga practice may improve autonomic flexibility in non-yoga practitioners and metabolic syndrome patients.

 

Improve Type II Diabetes with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Regular yoga practice can help reduce the level of sugar in the blood, along with lowering blood pressure, keeping a weight check, reducing the symptoms and slowing the rate of progression of diabetes, as well as lessening the severity of further complications.” – Art of Living

 

Type 2 diabetes is a common and increasingly prevalent illness that is largely preventable. Although this has been called adult-onset diabetes it is increasingly being diagnosed in children. It is estimated that 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and the numbers are growing. One of the reasons for the increasing incidence of Type 2 Diabetes is its association with overweight and obesity which is becoming epidemic in the industrialized world. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. In addition, diabetes is heavily associated with other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and circulatory problems leading to amputations. As a result, diabetes doubles the risk of death of any cause compared to individuals of the same age without diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes results from a resistance of tissues, especially fat tissues, to the ability of insulin to promote the uptake of glucose from the blood. As a result, blood sugar levels rise producing hyperglycemia.

 

A leading cause of this tissue resistance to insulin is overweight and obesity and a sedentary life style. Hence, treatment and prevention of Type 2 Diabetes focuses on diet, exercise, and weight control. Recently, mindfulness practices have been shown to be helpful in managing diabetes.

A mindfulness practice that combines mindfulness with exercise is yoga and it has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of Type II Diabetes. In today’s Research News article “Effects of Yoga in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1304539652903291/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jdi.12548/epdf

Cui and colleagues review the published literature on the effects of yoga practice on Type II diabetes.

 

They found that yoga practice had significant positive effects on the patients, reducing fasting blood glucose, blood glucose after meals, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and increasing high- density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the patients with Type II diabetes. In other words, yoga practice had markedly beneficial effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels in the patient. Most of these measures are short-term indicators of the patient’s metabolic condition. HbA1c, on the other hand, is an indicator of long-term blood glucose control and suggests that yoga practice has lasting effects on the overall metabolic state of type II diabetic patients.

 

How yoga practice produces these effects is unknown. But, it is likely that, at least in part, the improvement is due to the fact that yoga is a moderate exercise and exercise is known to improve Type II diabetes. In addition, yoga practice reduces the physiological and psychological responses to stress and stress is known to exacerbate diabetes. Finally, yoga practice improves discipline and conscious appreciation of the bodily state. This may make it easier for the patient to successfully negotiate the rigorous dietary and lifestyle restrictions required for successful treatment of diabetes. Regardless of the mechanisms of action, it is clear that yoga practice is very helpful in controlling the metabolism of Type II diabetes patients.

 

So, improve type II diabetes with yoga.

 

“Yoga can decrease fasting blood glucose levels, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce the need for diabetes medication, and lower stress hormone levels.1 What’s more, yoga increases flexibility and strength, improves balance and immune function, precipitates weight loss, relieves stress, and alleviates chronic pain.” – Jennifer Van Pelt

 

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Cui J, Yan JH, Yan LM, Pan L, Le JJ, Guo YZ. Effects of Yoga in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis. J Diabetes Investig. 2016 Jul 1. doi: 10.1111/jdi.12548. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Abstract

Aims/Introduction: A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of yoga in adult patients with T2DM.

Materials and Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched to obtain eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was fasting blood glucose (FBG), and the secondary outcomes included glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride, and postprandial blood glucose (PPBG). Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The I2 statistic represented heterogeneity.

Results: Twelve RCTs with a total of 864 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled WMDs were –23.72 mg/dl (95% CI: –37.78 to –9.65; P = 0.001; I2 = 82%) for FBG and –0.47% (95% CI: –0.87 to –0.07; P = 0.02; I2 = 82%) for HbA1c. The WMDs were –17.38 mg/dl (95% CI: –27.88 to –6.89; P = 0.001; I2 = 0%) for PPBG, –18.50 mg/dl (95% CI: –29.88 to –7.11; P = 0.001; I2 = 75%) for TC, 4.30 mg/dl (95% CI: 3.25 to 5.36; P < 0.00001; I2 = 10%) for HDL-C, –12.95 mg/dl (95% CI: –18.84 to –7.06; P < 0.0001; I2 = 37%) for LDL-C, and –12.57 mg/dl (95% CI: –29.91 to 4.76; P = 0.16; I2 = 48%) for triglycerides.

Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that yoga benefits adult patients with T2DM. However, considering the limited methodology and the potential heterogeneity, further studies are necessary to support our findings and investigate the long-term effects of yoga in T2DM patients.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jdi.12548/epdf

 

Reduce Aggression and Counterproductive Work in the Office with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Making office yoga exercises a part of your routine can work wonders as they wipe away body pain, fatigue and tension and increase overall muscle strength and flexibility, keeping you fresh and revitalized through the day.” – The Art of Living

 

Sometimes in the workplace employees engage in behaviors that harm the organization or other employees. These are known as counterproductive work behavior and include behaviors such as absenteeism, bullying, abuse of others, excessive use of social media, incivility, aggression, chronic lateness, sabotage, harassment, substance abuse, and theft. These behaviors are quite common as 75% of employees have reportedly stolen from their employer and 33% to 75% of all employees have engaged in fraud, sabotage, and voluntary absenteeism. In addition, it has been estimated that around 40% of employees have been bullied in the workplace. Such behaviors can cost organizations dearly. It has been estimated that in the U.S. workplace violence costs around $4.2 billion, theft costs around $80, and delinquent behavior costs around $100 billion annually. Hence, it is important to organizations to find methods to reduce or control these counterproductive work behaviors.

 

Mindfulness practices have been shown to be effective in promoting the work performance and the well-being of workers including the prevention and treatment of burnout. Yoga is a mindfulness practice that has been shown to have a wide range of physical and psychological benefits. It has also been used to promote health in the workplace. In today’s Research News article “Effect of yoga practices in reducing counterproductive work behavior and its predictors.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1303749202982336/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919969/

Dwivedi and colleagues investigate whether yoga practice can reduce counterproductive work behavior. They recruited working professionals who had engaged in counterproductive work behavior and randomly assigned them to a yoga practice group or a control condition which included lectures on management and mild to moderate exercise. Both groups practiced for one hour per day, five days per week, for ten weeks. The participants were measured prior to and after the training for counterproductive work behaviors, aggression, and positive and negative emotions.

 

They found that after the ten-week practice the yoga practice group, but not the control group, had significant reductions of 15% in counterproductive work behaviors, 14% in aggression, and 22% in negative emotions. These are very good results and suggest that yoga practice can improve the psychological state of workers and reduce counterproductive work behaviors. This suggests that yoga practice may be of great use in organizations and improve employee behavior and the costs of wasteful counterproductive work behaviors.

 

It will be important to establish whether these effects are lasting with follow-up measurements. Regardless, the results suggest that yoga practice is a safe and effective method to improve employee health and reduce the negative behaviors that interfere with organizational effectiveness and add unnecessary costs.

 

So, reduce aggression and counterproductive work in the office with yoga.

 

“Taking breaks in the workday with yoga has proven to be one of the most effective ways in helping employees relieve stress and become refreshed and more focused. Employees will then be able to make better decisions, be more productive, and have a more positive attitude with co-workers.” – Kreg Weiss

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Dwivedi, U., Kumari, S., & Nagendra, H. R. (2016). Effect of yoga practices in reducing counterproductive work behavior and its predictors. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(2), 216–219. http://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.183778

 

Abstract

Context: Aggression and negative affectivity (NA) are known for moderating relationship between job stressors and counterproductive work behavior. Yoga has been demonstrated earlier to reduce the parameters of aggression and negative emotions.

Aim: The present study examined the effectiveness of yoga practices in reducing counterproductive work behavior and its predictors such as aggression and NA.

Settings and Design: A pretest–posttest randomized controlled design.

Materials and Methods: The study sample included yoga group (n = 80) and control group (n = 80). Yoga module that included asanas, pranayama, meditation, and yogic theory were taught to the yoga group. Mild to moderate physical exercises and management theories were taught to the control group. Both groups received intervention for 10 weeks, covering 1 h daily, 5 days a week. Measurements of self-reported counterproductive work behaviors, aggression, and NA were taken as baseline and postintervention for assessment.

Results: Yoga group reported significant reductions in aggression, NA, and counterproductive work behavior in comparison with the control group after 10 weeks.

Conclusions: This study contributes by introducing a cost-effective way to prevent the heavy losses organizations are incurring due to counterproductive work behavior and its predictors. The findings support that yoga at workplace may result in positive psychological empowerment of the employees as well.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919969/

 

Improve Self-efficacy and Movements in Teens with Yoga

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yoga children school2 Das

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Although teens frontal lobe activity is still developing well into their twenties, they do have frontal lobes. Mindfulness practices can help teens engage their frontal lobes, and slow down and weigh the outcome of their actions.” – Donna Torney

 

Adolescence can be a difficult time, fraught with challenges. During this time the child transitions to young adulthood; including the development of intellectual, psychological, physical, and social abilities and characteristics. There are so many changes occurring during this time that the child can feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with all that is required. An important characteristic that develops during this time is self-efficacy, the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. This characteristic is an important foundation for success in many other areas of development. So, methods that could help to improve the development of self-efficacy could be very helpful for the child in navigating the difficult adolescent years.

 

Yoga practice has been shown to have a large number of beneficial effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical health of the individual and is helpful in the treatment of mental and physical illness. The acceptance of yoga practice has spread from the home and yoga studios to its application with children in schools. Studies of these school programs have found that yoga practice produces a wide variety of positive psychosocial and physical benefits. These include improved mood state, self-control, social abilities, self-regulation, emotion regulation, self-esteem, and ability to focus. In addition, yoga practice produces improvements in student grades and academic performance. They have also shown that the yoga practice produces lower levels of anxiety, depression, general distress, rumination, and intrusive thoughts.

 

So, yoga practice may be helpful to adolescents in the development of their self-efficacy. In today’s Research News article “Influence of Yoga-Based Personality Development Program on Psychomotor Performance and Self-efficacy in School Children.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1297633423593914/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908105/

Das and colleagues examine the effects of a 10-week intensive yoga camp on adolescents’ self-efficacy and cognitive task performance. The camp involved 10-hours per day of yoga postures, meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and yoga games. They were measured before and after the camp for self-efficacy and the Trail Marking Test which measures fine motor coordination, visual–motor integration, visual perception, and cognitive planning ability. The results were compared with a matched group of adolescents who spent the 10-weeks in a traditional school setting.

 

They found that the yoga training produced a marked, significant, increase in self-efficacy including the academic, social, and emotional domains. Whereas, the control group showed no change in self-efficacy. The yoga group also showed large, significant improvements on the trail Making Test while the control group did not. These results suggest that the intensive yoga practice was very beneficial for the adolescents. The improvements in the teens beliefs regarding their ability to succeed academically, socially and emotionally has important implications for their successful navigation of the difficult teen years. In addition, their improvements in motor ability, planning, and cognitive performance suggest improved physical and intellectual development and success in school.

 

It is important, though, to recognize that the yoga training was very intensive. It is unclear whether a less intensive yoga program like that typically used in schools would have similarly impressive effects. In addition, the comparison, control, condition was not equivalent in that they didn’t experience a similar intensive training and social contact situation. So, it is not possible to know if it was the yoga training itself or the intensive camp context that produced the effects. It remains for future research to clarify these issues.

 

Regardless, the results are suggestive that yoga practice may have profound effects on teen’s development of self-efficacy, motor, and cognitive development.

 

“Yoga has proven very helpful for teenagers. The deep breathing, focusing, and stretching of Yoga help calm the mind and soothe the body and spirit. Restorative Yoga especially helps to balance the nervous system, and ease teens out of the flight-or-fight response. And luckily Yoga is now considered “cool” by most teenagers, so your kids can practice without worrying about being ostracized.” –  Jane Heyman

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Das M, Deepeshwar S, Subramanya P and Manjunath NK (2016) Influence of Yoga-Based Personality Development Program on Psychomotor Performance and Self-efficacy in School Children. Front. Pediatr. 4:62. doi: 10.3389/fped.2016.00062

 

Abstract

Selective attention and efficacy are important components of scholastic performance in school children. While attempts are being made to introduce new methods to improve academic performance either as part of curricular or extracurricular activities in schools, the success rates are minimal. Hence, this study assessed the effect of yoga-based intervention on psychomotor performance and self-efficacy in school children. Two hundred ten school children with ages ranging from 11 to 16 years (mean age ± SD; 13.7 ± 0.8 years) satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the 10-day yogä program. An equal number of age-matched participants (n = 210; mean ± SD; 13.1 ± 0.8 years) were selected for the control group. Participants were assessed for attention and performance at the beginning and end of 10 days using trail making task (TMT) A and B, and self-efficacy questionnaire. The yoga group showed higher self-efficacy and improved performance after 10 days of yoga intervention. The performance in TMT-A and -B of the yoga group showed a significantly higher number of attempts with a reduction in time taken to complete the task and a number of wrong attempts compared with control group. Results suggest that yoga practice enhances self-efficacy and processing speed with fine motor coordination, visual–motor integration, visual perception, planning ability, and cognitive performance.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908105/

 

Improve Fitness in Visually Impaired Children with Yoga

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yoga visual impairment2 Mohnaty

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“As those of us with good vision can imagine, the loss of something that helps the function of our body and mind can cause a lot of stress, depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Well, guess what has been proven to help those who can see with the similar symptoms? Yep, yoga.” – Julie Phillips-Turner

 

Visual impairment is quite common among children and adolescents. “According to the 2014 American Community Survey, there are approximately 543,893 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2014 ACS, there are 261,413 girls and 282,480 boys under the age of 18 that have vision difficulty in the U.S.” – American Foundation for the Blind. Due to the impaired vision and its impact on movements and physical activities, the visually impaired children generally have lower fitness levels, including deficits in muscular strength and balance.

 

Yoga practice has been found to improve muscular strength and balance in adults with visual impairment. In today’s Research News article “Yoga Practice Increases Minimum Muscular Fitness in Children with Visual Impairment.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1285660018124588/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699502/

Mohnaty and colleagues examine the effectiveness of yoga practice to improve muscular strength in 9-16-year old children. They randomly assigned students at a school for the blind to either a yoga practice group or a wait-list control group. The yoga practice consisted of breathing exercises, loosening practices, postures, relaxation and meditation and was practiced for 60 minutes, 5 days per week for 16 weeks. The wait-list control group participated in a vocational training program instead of yoga practice.

 

The students were assessed before during and after the 16-week practice period with the Kraus-Weber test of muscular fitness which includes assessments of abdominal with psoas muscles, upper abdominal without psoas muscles, lower abdominal with psoas muscle, upper back muscles, lower back muscles and back and hamstrings. the Kraus-Weber test is a pass or fail test and if the student failed on any of its six components then they were considered as failing the whole test. They found that by the end of the 16-week practice period that the yoga group had significantly fewer failures of the Kraus-Weber test than the control group. Before practice only 12.2% of the children in the yoga group passed the test. But, by the end of the practice period 97.6% of the children passed while only 64.1% of the control group passed.

 

The study provides clear evidence that practicing yoga can improve muscular fitness in visually impaired children. This is important as the lack of fitness has health consequences for the children and can lead to increased levels of falls and injuries. In addition, yoga practice is known to be safe and to have a wide variety of physical and psychological benefits.

 

So, improve fitness in visually impaired children with yoga.

 

“It’s hard at first, and then they get it. We use the edge of the mat for alignment during the practice. We also do the same sequence of poses each week, which does a lot of work on the floor, and some standing poses, including tree pose. The key is to go slowly and use ujaii breath to help center their weight, and stabilize while keeping their attention inward.” Pam Jeter

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Mohanty, S., Venkata Ramana Murty, P., Pradhan, B., & Hankey, A. (2015). Yoga Practice Increases Minimum Muscular Fitness in Children with Visual Impairment. Journal of Caring Sciences, 4(4), 253–263. http://doi.org/10.15171/jcs.2015.026

 

Abstract

Introduction: Muscle strength, a component for balance, gait and functional mobility is vital for children with visual impairment. Yoga has frequently been demonstrated to improve physical and mental fitness in children. This study aimed to assess the effect of 16 weeks yoga training on muscular fitness in children with visual impairment.

Methods: This was a wait-listed two-armed-matched case–control study. Eighty (41 yoga, 39 control) visual impairment students of both genders aged 9-16 years matched on age, gender and degree of blindness were assessed at pre, mid (after 8 weeks) and post (after 16 weeks) yoga intervention using the Kraus-Weber test.

Results: The percentage of students passed in yoga group were 12.2%, 43.9% and 68.3% whereas percentages in the control group were 23.1%, 30.8% and 30.8% in pre, mid, and post tests respectively. McNemar test showed significant differences between pre and mid, mid and post in the yoga group while those parameters were not significantly different in the control group. Yoga therapy seemed to have considerable benefits for the children’s muscular fitness.

Conclusion: The study suggests that yoga have considerable benefits for improvement of fitness level in children with visual impairment and may be recommended as and effective, alternative, inexpensive low risk training activity option for them.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699502/

 

Reverse Osteoporotic Bone Loss with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Yoga’s emphasis on strength-building, balance and alignment can help people with osteoporosis avoid injury. Low-impact weight-bearing yoga poses stimulate bone growth to build stronger bones. Standing poses can build strength in your hips, an area commonly affected by osteoporosis. Light back-bending back extension poses decompress the vertebrae and build spinal strength.” – Kristin Shea

 

Bone is living tissue that, like all living tissues, is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the removal of old bone. This results in a loss of bone mass, causing bones to become weak and brittle. It can become so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses like bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. These fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Osteoporosis, particularly in its early stages, is difficult to diagnosis as there are typically no symptoms of bone loss. But once bones have been weakened, signs and symptoms may include: back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra, loss of height over time, a stooped posture, or a bone fracture that occurs much more easily than expected.

 

Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide; approximately 10% of women aged 60, 20% of women aged 70, 40% of women aged 80 and 70% of women aged 90. In the United States 54 million adults over 50 are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass; 16% of women and 4% of men. Worldwide, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures annually, including 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over age 50. Most fractures occur in postmenopausal women and elderly men. Osteoporosis takes a huge personal and economic toll. The disability due to osteoporosis is greater than that caused by cancers and is comparable or greater than that lost to a variety of chronic diseases, such as arthritis, asthma and high blood pressure related heart disease.

 

The most common treatments for osteoporosis are drugs which slow down the breakdown of bone, combined with exercise. The side effects of the drugs are mild, including upset stomach and heartburn. But, there is a major compliance problem as the drugs must be taken over very long periods of time. In fact, only about a third of patients continue to take their medications for at least a year. Even when drugs are taken, exercise is recommended to improve bone growth.

 

Yoga is a relatively gentle low-cost exercise that can be adjusted to the capabilities of elderly individuals. “By pitting one group of muscles against another, yoga exposes bones to greater forces and, therefore, might enhance bone mineral density more than other means.” So, it would seem reasonable to suspect that yoga practice might be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis. In today’s Research News article “Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1281868151837108/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851231/

Lu and colleagues recruited participants over the internet who had recent bone density measures and were willing to practice yoga for 12 minutes per day. Only participants who complied and practiced yoga at least every other day were included in the final sample. In the four years prior to the study the participants lost bone density with an average loss per month of −0.0036 g/cm2 for the spine, −0.00008 g/cm2 for the hips, and −0.009 for the femora and 109 bone fractures were reported. After practicing yoga for two years the participants increased bone density with an average gain per month of 0.048, 0.088, and 0.0003 g/cm2, for spine, hips, and femora and only 19 bone fractures were reported.

 

These are exciting results and suggest that the practice of yoga has long-term benefits for bone health. These results suggest that osteoporotic bone loss can be reversed with yoga. The people studied were from all over the world, making the results highly generalizable to disparate populations. Also, yoga practice has many additional benefits for psychological and physical health and it is safe, low-cost, and can be adapted for individuals at varying ages and physical conditions.

 

Hence, practice yoga for bone health.

 

”yoga poses, have improved bone strength and mineral density significantly. . . .They showed a dramatic rise in the bone mineral density of those that practiced yoga. The people that did not do any yoga had the expected modest fall in their bone mineral density.” – Lauren Fishman

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Lu, Y.-H., Rosner, B., Chang, G., & Fishman, L. M. (2016). Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 32(2), 81–87. http://doi.org/10.1097/TGR.0000000000000085

 

Abstract

Objective:

Assess the effectiveness of selected yoga postures in raising bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods:

Ten-year study of 741 Internet-recruited volunteers comparing preyoga BMD changes with postyoga BMD changes.

Outcome Measures:

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans. Optional radiographs of hips and spine and bone quality study (7 Tesla).

Results:

Bone mineral density improved in spine, hips, and femur of the 227 moderately and fully compliant patients. Monthly gain in BMD was significant in spine (0.0029 g/cm2, P = .005) and femur (0.00022 g/cm2, P = .053), but in 1 cohort, although mean gain in hip BMD was 50%, large individual differences raised the confidence interval and the gain was not significant for total hip (0.000357 g/cm2). No yoga-related serious injuries were imaged or reported. Bone quality appeared qualitatively improved in yoga practitioners.

Conclusion:

Yoga appears to raise BMD in the spine and the femur safely.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851231/

 

Get out of the Dumps with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“One of the chapters in my life included a 10-year bout with deep depression. This depression became compounded when I was confronted with loss and grief. I took antidepressants of varying kinds for many years and attempted talk therapy. For me, none of these approaches worked. It was only when I began practicing yoga that I started to see and feel concrete, sustained shifts in my mental patterns, emotions, and internal state of being.” – Monique Minahan

 

Clinically diagnosed depression is the most common mental illness, affecting over 6% of the population. In general, it involves feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness, irritability or frustration, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, sleep disturbances, tiredness and lack of energy, anxiety, agitation, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself for things that aren’t your responsibility, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide. Needless to say individuals with depression are miserable.

 

Depression appears to be the result of a change in the nervous system that can generally only be reached with drugs that alter the affected neurochemical systems. But, depression can be difficult to treat. Of patients treated initially with drugs only about a third attained remission of the depression. After repeated and varied treatments including drugs, therapy, exercise etc. only about two thirds of patients attained remission. In, addition, drugs often have troubling side effects and can lose effectiveness over time. In addition, many patients who achieve remission have relapses and recurrences of the depression. So, it is important to investigate alternative treatments for depression.

 

There are some alternative activities that can be helpful for depression. Regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression. It also may play a supporting role in treating severe depression. Mindful meditation training including yoga practices have also been shown to be viable alternative treatments for depression. They have been shown to be an effective treatment for active depression and for the prevention of its recurrence. They can even be effective in cases where drugs fail. In addition, the combination of exercise with meditation has been shown to be effective for treating depression.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness-based yoga intervention for women with depression.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1278994708791119/?type=3&theater

or below, Schuver and Lewis investigate the relative effectiveness of yoga and walking exercise for the treatment of depression. They randomly assigned depressed women to either a 12-week mindfulness based yoga practice or walking exercise. Both treatments were practiced twice a week for 65 minutes for 12 weeks. Measurements of depression and rumination were taken before and after treatment and one-month after the completion of the 12-week practice period.

 

They found that both treatments produced significant decreases (34% and 38% respectively) in depression that were maintained at follow-up. Both groups also showed significant decreases in rumination but, the yoga group had a significantly greater decrease (30%) than the walking group (19%) at the end of treatment. But, by the one-month follow-up there were no significant differences between the groups. Hence, both treatments successfully improved depression and rumination in the depressed women.

 

So, it appears that exercise, regardless of whether it’s in the form of yoga or walking relieves depression. In practice, however, depressed people lack energy and it can be quite challenging for them to initiate or keep up an exercise practice. The current study employed a home yoga practice. It is possible that a yoga practice in a group would be more enjoyable and promote adherence to the exercise. More research is needed to investigate this conjecture.

 

Regardless it is clear that you can get out of the dumps with yoga.

 

“Yoga gives us an active role in healing. And by slowing down mental chatter through breath work, it helps facilitate self-acceptance. In other words, through practicing yoga, we become quieter and more grounded. Yoga can help perfectionists as well as those who tend to be self-critical or lack self-confidence.” – Janeen Locker.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Schuver KJ, Lewis BA. Mindfulness-based yoga intervention for women with depression. Complement Ther Med. 2016 Jun;26:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Mar 14.

 

Highlights

  • Efficacy of a 12-week yoga intervention, in comparison to a walking group, on mood and rumination among depressed women.
  • Participants in both groups demonstrated similar decreases in depressive symptoms from baseline to post-intervention.
  • The yoga condition reported significantly lower levels of rumination than the walking group at post-intervention.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a 12-week mindfulness-based yoga intervention on depressive symptoms and rumination among depressed women.

DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled 12 week intervention pilot study. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (12 weeks), and one-month follow-up.

SETTING: Women with a history of diagnosed depression and currently depressed were randomized to a mindfulness-based yoga condition or a walking control.

INTERVENTIONS: The mindfulness-based yoga intervention consisted of a home-based yoga asana, pranayama and meditation practice with mindfulness education sessions delivered over the telephone. The walking control condition consisted of home-based walking sessions and health education sessions delivered over the phone.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS).

RESULTS: Both groups reported decreases in depressive symptoms from baseline to post-intervention, f(1,33)=34.83, p<0.001, and from baseline to one-month follow-up, f(1,33)=37.01, p<0.001. After controlling for baseline, there were no significant between group differences on depression scores at post-intervention and the one-month follow-up assessment. The mindfulness-based yoga condition reported significantly lower levels of rumination than the control condition at post-intervention, after controlling for baseline levels of rumination, f(1,31)=6.23, p<0.01.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that mindfulness-based yoga may provide tools to manage ruminative thoughts among women with elevated depressive symptoms. Future studies, with larger samples are needed to address the effect of yoga on depression and further explore the impact on rumination.

 

Improve Psychological Well Being with Commitment to Yoga Practice

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“A common factor in the healing effect of yoga for all of these issues is its ability to develop increased awareness of the body and its inner sensations- called “interoception”–which is central to emotion awareness and emotion regulation and to self-regulation in general.” – Frank Schwoeri

 

Therapists have known for years that in order for therapy to be effective, the client must be committed to the therapy. In fact, many argue that fees are necessary in order to insure that the individual is fully committed to the therapeutic process. Yoga practice has been shown to be beneficial for the physical, psychological, spiritual, and medical health of the individual and has been suggested to be a therapy for deficiencies in these realms. It would seem reasonable, then, to hypothesize that the effectiveness of yoga practice would be related to the degree of commitment that the individual has to the practice.

 

In today’s Research News article “The relationship between yoga involvement, mindfulness and psychological well-being.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1274178485939408/?type=3&theater

or below, Gaiswinkler and Unterrainer performed an on-line recruitment of yoga practitioners and a comparison group of practitioners of a variety of gym based exercises including aerobics, pilates, etc. They measured mindfulness, psychiatric symptoms, and spiritual well-beingThey also measured yoga immersion with a 10-question scale containing questions like “The wisdom of yoga affects my way of seeing things in everyday life” or “By practicing yoga I can concentrate better.”

 

They found, not surprisingly, that yoga immersion was highly related to the duration and frequency of yoga practice. In addition, the higher the yoga immersion the higher the scores on mindfulness, and spiritual well-being and the lower the scores on psychiatric symptoms. Comparing the yoga practitioners at different levels of immersion to the control exercise group revealed that the highly immersed yoga practitioners were significantly higher in mindfulness and spiritual well-being, including forgiveness, hope, meaning, and connectedness. They were also significantly lower in psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, and somatization (bodily symptoms).

 

These results suggest that commitment to yoga is important for the psychological and spiritual well-being of the practitioner. It should be kept in mind, however, that the study was correlational which does not allow for a causal conclusion. It is possible that the types of people who become committed to yoga practice are also the people who have high levels of psychological and spiritual well-being, or that being psychologically and spiritually healthy allows the individual to deeply immerse themselves in yoga practice. In addition, since immersion in yoga was highly correlated with the amount of practice, the significant variable might have been the amount of practice and not the commitment. After all, it would be expected that the more the individual practiced the greater the effectiveness of the practice. It should also be noted that the control, exercise, group were not similarly measured for commitment to their exercise. So, it was not possible to determine if commitment per se was important or that it was specific to yoga practice. Hence, the results are promising, but further research is necessary to elucidate the nature of the connection of immersion in yoga to its benefits.

 

“Yoga is thought of by many as a way of life. It is practiced not only for stress management but also for good physical and mental health and to live in a more meaningful way. Yoga is a system of healing and self-transformation based in wholeness and unity. The word yoga itself means to “yoke” — to bring together. It aims to integrate the diverse processes with which we understand the world and ourselves. It touches the physical, psychological, spiritual, and mental realms that we inhabit. Yoga recognizes that without integration of these, spiritual freedom and awareness, or what the yogis call “liberation,” cannot occur.” – Mahjabeen Hassan

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Gaiswinkler L, Unterrainer HF. The relationship between yoga involvement, mindfulness and psychological well-being. Complement Ther Med. 2016 Jun;26:123-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.011. Epub 2016 Mar 17.

 

Highlights

  • Newly developed Yoga Immersion scale reliably measures the amount of yoga involvement.
  • Individuals highly involved in yoga practice exhibit reduced mood pathology.
  • Enhanced yoga involvement is linked with increased mindfulness and spirituality.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine how different levels of yoga involvement are related to different parameters of mental health and illness.

Design and setting: A total sample of 455 participants (410 females) were investigated by means of an internet survey. 362 yoga practitioners (327 females) rated their degree of yoga involvement on the Yoga Immersion Scale. A control group was comprised of 93 gymnastics practitioners (83 females).

Main outcome measures: All participants completed the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being, the Freiburger Mindfulness Inventory and the Brief Symptom Inventory for psychiatric symptoms.

Results: Highly involved yoga practitioners exhibited a significantly increased amount of mindfulness and religious/spiritual well-being (both p < 0.01) and lower psychiatric symptoms such as depression (p < 0.01) compared to those who were only marginally/moderately yoga-involved or who were in the gymnastics control group.

Conclusions: In accordance with the literature, yoga practice might have its biggest impact on mental health when it is part of a practitioner’s worldview. Further research focusing on the impact of yoga involvement in clinical groups is encouraged.

 

Improve COPD with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“I am 63 years old. Ten years ago I was diagnosed with emphysema. Emphysema is a progressive disease that increasingly damages the lung structure and impairs the lung function. However, I am pleased to say that my lung function has essentially remained unchanged from the day I was first tested. Credit for this “miracle” primarily goes to nine years of almost daily practice of yoga.” – Vijai Sharma

 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are progressive lung diseases that obstruct airflow. The two main types of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is very serious being the third leading cause of death in the United States, over 140,000 deaths per year. More than 11 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but an estimated 24 million may have the disease without even knowing it. COPD causes serious long-term disability and early death. Symptoms develop slowly. Over time, COPD can interfere with the performance of routine tasks and is thus a major cause of disability in the United States. The most common cause of COPD is smoking. COPD also occurs with miners and is called black lung disease which has symptoms and progression very similar to cigarette smoking. COPD is not contagious. Most of the time, treatment can ease symptoms and slow progression. At this time the number of people dying from COPD is growing.

 

COPD has no cure yet. However, lifestyle changes and treatments can help you feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease. COPD treatments include lifestyle changes, medicine, bronchodilators, steroids, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and surgery. They all attempt to relieve symptoms, slow the progress of the disease, improve exercise tolerance, prevent and treat complications, and improve overall health. Yoga practice would seem to be a useful lifestyle change that could improve COPD symptoms as it has been shown to improve exercise tolerance and overall health and includes breathing exercises.

 

In today’s Research News article “A randomized controlled study on assessment of health status, depression, and anxiety in coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following yoga training.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1269208726436384/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2016;volume=9;issue=2;spage=137;epage=144;aulast=Ranjita

Ranjita and colleagues recruited adult non-smoking coal miners who had been diagnosed with COPD. They were randomly assigned to a yoga practice or a wait-list control condition. yoga training consisted of a set of integrated yoga practices adapted for COPD. Yoga was practiced for 90 min daily, 6 days/week for 12 weeks. The control group simply continued conventional therapy. The miners were assessed before and after the 12-weeks of treatment for COPD effects on health and well-being, depression, and anxiety. They found that yoga practice, compared to the wait-list control condition, had a significant, 23%, improvement in overall health, 26% reduction in depression, and a 16% reduction in anxiety. These are impressive findings and suggest that yoga practice is an effective means to improve the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).

 

There are a number of ways that yoga practice may improve COPD symptoms. Firstly, it is a mild exercise involving breathing exercises that may directly assist lung function. Secondly, yoga practice is known to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress, making the miners less reactive to their stressful disease. Thirdly, yoga practice has been shown to generally improve emotion regulation and reduce depression and anxiety. And finally, by promotion of present moment awareness, yoga practice may reduce the worry and catastrophizing that is characteristic of sufferers from chronic diseases. It remains for future research to pinpoint the mechanism(s) for the effectiveness of yoga practice in treating the symptoms of COPD.

 

Regardless, improve COPD with yoga.

 

“We found that yoga can be a simple, cost-effective method that can help improve quality of life in patients with COPD” – Randeep Guleria

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Ranjita R, Badhai S, Hankey A, Nagendra HR. A randomized controlled study on assessment of health status, depression, and anxiety in coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following yoga training. Int J Yoga 2016;9:137-44

 

Abstract
Context: Psychological comorbidities are prevalent in coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and contribute to the severity of the disease reducing their health status. Yoga has been shown to alleviate depression and anxiety associated with other chronic diseases but in COPD not been fully investigated.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the role of yoga on health status, depression, and anxiety in coal miners with COPD.
Materials and Methods: This was a randomized trial with two study arms (yoga and control), which enrolled 81 coal miners, ranging from 36 to 60 years with stage II and III stable COPD. Both groups were either on conventional treatment or combination of conventional care with yoga program for 12 weeks.
Results: Data were collected through standardized questionnaires; COPD Assessment Test, Beck Depression Inventory and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory at the beginning and the end of the intervention. The yoga group showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) improvements on all scales within the group, all significantly different (P < 0.001) from changes observed in the controls. No significant prepost changes were observed in the control group (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Yoga program led to greater improvement in physical and mental health status than did conventional care. Yoga seems to be a safe, feasible, and effective treatment for patients with COPD. There is a need to conduct more comprehensive, high-quality, evidence-based studies to shed light on the current understanding of the efficacy of yoga in these chronic conditions and identify unanswered questions.

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2016;volume=9;issue=2;spage=137;epage=144;aulast=Ranjita

Improve Low Back Pain with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Achy back? Give yoga a go. Multiple studies have shown the power of the ancient practice, which emphasizes stretching, strength, and flexibility, to relieve back soreness. In fact, several studies have found that yoga can even trump usual care for back pain when it comes to improving back function.” –  Annie Hauser

 

Acute pain in all forms is a signal that there is something wrong that needs immediate attention. Chronic pain, on the other hand signals the presence of physical issues that are more difficult to address. Chronic pain is particularly difficult as it is not only a torment but is highly disruptive to the sufferer’s life, decreasing the ability to engage in everyday activities and lowering the quality of life. One source of chronic pain, low back pain, is ubiquitous. It is estimated that 80% of the population will experience back pain sometime during their lives. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects between 6% to 15% of the population.

 

There are varied treatments for low back pain including chiropractic care, acupuncture, biofeedback, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, surgery, opiate pain killing drugs, steroid injections, and muscle relaxant drugs. The therapies are sometimes effective particularly for acute back pain. But, for chronic conditions the treatments are less effective and often require continuing treatment for years. Obviously, there is a need for effective treatments for low back pain that are low cost and don’t have troublesome side effects.

 

Mindfulness training has shown promise in the treatment of a variety of pain conditions, including low back pain.  Yoga practice is both a physical and a mindfulness training that under supervised conditions is effective for a variety of physical and psychological conditions, especially musculoskeletal problems including low back pain. There have been a variety of studies of the application of yoga for low back pain but they are highly variable in technique, postures employed, included components of practice, patient groups, and follow-up. So, there is a need for a rigorous review and summarization of these studies to ascertain the overall effectiveness of yoga practice for low back pain.

 

In today’s Research News article “Yoga as a treatment for chronic low back pain: A systematic review of the literature.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1265126300177960/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878447/

Chang and colleagues review and summarize the published research on the application of yoga practice for low back pain. They found that the literature provides documented, scientific, controlled evidence that supports the conclusion that yoga practice when properly administered reduces pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain. In addition, since postures once learned can be practiced at home, yoga provides a more cost effective long-term for back pain than physical therapy, spinal manipulation, physical therapy, and acupuncture.

 

These results are very promising and suggest that yoga practice is an excellent treatment for low back pain. Yoga, however, is not without risks. Back pain can be exacerbated and even disc herniation is possible. So, it is important that, at least in its initial stages, yoga practice be administered and supervised by a knowledgeable certified professional. It is important to also recognize that yoga practice has many psychological, physical, and spiritual benefits beyond relief of low back pain. So, yoga should not be evaluated with only one physical issue in mind, but should be looked upon as not only relieving symptoms but also having holistic benefits, improving the practitioner’s health and well-being.

 

So, improve low back pain with yoga.

 

“An estimated 84 percent of people may experience low back pain. If you’ve ever felt it yourself, you know that the most basic, daily movements can be challenging. Suddenly sitting, standing, and bending seem like advanced yoga postures. Back pain is actually one of the most common reasons that people visit the doctor. Fortunately, new studies are supporting yoga’s efficacy and many individuals are turning to the practice for help.” – Jennifer Carter Avgerinos

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Chang, D. G., Holt, J. A., Sklar, M., & Groessl, E. J. (2016). Yoga as a treatment for chronic low back pain: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Orthopedics & Rheumatology, 3(1), 1–8.

 

Abstract

Objectives: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) affects millions of people worldwide, and appears to be increasing in prevalence. It is associated not only with pain, but also with increased disability, psychological symptoms, and reduced quality of life. There are various treatment options for CLBP, but no single therapy stands out as being the most effective. In the past 10 years, yoga interventions have been studied as a CLBP treatment approach. The objective of this paper is to review the current literature supporting the efficacy of yoga for CLBP.

Methods: A literature search through the beginning of 2015 was conducted in Pub Med for randomized control trials addressing treatment of CLBP with yoga.

Results: In this review we evaluate the use of yoga as a treatment for CLBP. Specifically we evaluate how yoga impacts physical functioning and disability, pain, and associated psychological symptoms. We also evaluate possible mediators of the effect of yoga and the safety of yoga.

Discussion: With few exceptions, previous studies and the recent randomized control trials (RCTs) indicate that yoga can reduce pain and disability, can be practiced safely, and is well received by participants. Some studies also indicate that yoga may improve psychological symptoms, but these effects are currently not as well established.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878447/